The YLOD Thread! What is it and how to avoid it when playing GT5.

  • Thread starter FlareKR
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Wow you really are a massive Playstation fanboy. The funny thing is, the Playstation's YLOD is just as common as the RROD and the YLOD kills your save data
 
LOL. Calling someone a fanboy because the PS3 doesn't get hardware failures as often?
I've probably seen more people in Alaska deal with the 3RROD than the YLOD. But, what would I know? I don't have any friends and/or tech/gaming freaks to ask (note the sarcasm there).

(I've also owned a PS3 for about as long as the 3 xBoxes i've had. First 2 xboxes got the 3RROD. I turned the 3rd one into a paperweight.)
 
2. Invest in a cooling fan for your PS3. This is a very easy way to cool your PS3 down and play longer. They run at around $20 at a GameStop, but if you trust the internet, you could find them cheaper.
It's a wonderful a mystical place where you could find them; it's called Google.com.

These cause more problems than they fix.

What problems? I've been thinking about getting a cooling fan for a while now.. Can you explain why they are a bad idea?
Thanks,
 
I know of two family members and three friends that bought 60GB at launch. That makes six systems when you include mine. ALL SIX are dead and have either been replaced with a refurb or "fixed" and traded in for a slim.
 
I know the girl in the picture, i mind personally, its a model friend of mine friend (model too)

On topic i got the 80gb fat and it still rocks, but im scared.
 
Its literally the worlds best kept secret that the fat PS3's are actually quite unreliable (mostly overshadowed by the fact the fat 360's at the time were far worse). All those initial reviews and tests that praised the PS3's reliability (by sticking it in freezers and saunas etc) were premature and gave no real indication of its ability to endure usage over a long period of time, in a nutshell they jumped to conclusions.

You would think the massive cooling system would handle things but there are many design flaws including the poor fit of the heatsink on the chips (which can cause many of the YLOD's). Add to that the lead free solder, a hot PSU and the high nm very hot chips!

The best thing to do is prevent against it rather than try and fix it afterwards. All you have to do is change the thermal paste. Its also been proven that keeping the PS3 horizontal is better for cooling then vertical so dont be fooled into thinking thats the better position.

Robin.
 
I didn’t read the whole thread so I don't know if someone mentioned it before but if you encounter a YROD chances are good you can fix it (or at least for a while).
I've done this two times and had 100% success rate ;).
What you need:
- Screwdriver
- Heatgun (paint remover)
- Some good nerves.

The repair is quite simple. Open up your PS3 and get the mainboard out of it.
Lay the mainboard down on a flat surface. Plug in the heatgun and let it warm up. Heat the mainbord equally. After a while of heating the whole mainboard concentrate the heating on the RSX and the CELL. Don't mind the burned plastic smell.
After heating it for 10 to 15 minutes let it cool down for a hour or so.
Put the whole thing back together and you’re ready to go on.

Probably it would die again in the next few months. Then you could try the trick again, and again until reanimating the thing doesn't work anymore.

There are also some instruction videos on youtube about this.

I managed to YLOD my 40GB when playing MW2 almost 6months ago now, I managed to fix it without much technical know-how. It was quite easy and like you said, step-by-step vids/guides are readily available which were extremely useful. I liked the Gilksy Files.

Fortunately, since fixing it, mine has been just about going strong and had no further issues..

To the brave few who are willing to try, its not difficult, just requires patience (took me hour n half to complete, being overcautious).
 
Not read the whole thread, have just had my 60gb phat ps3 back from surgery at the console repairers. The ylod light came on a week ago, and fault found to be a cooked GPU chip. This has been replaced and a repair to motherboard where it had been damaged (new solder i imagine?)
Ok it took a week to repair and cost me £80, but shop has given me a 12 month warranty on the repair, i was prepared to buy extras fans to keep it cool, but he said it would make the no difference and would playing only 2-3 hours at a time. The earlier ps3's are prone to problems and there is nothing you do to stop the ylod, some ylod problems are easier to fix then others...mine wasnt :ouch:, but it least it works now..

Must have jinxed it! Just went for a quick race and it shut down again with 3 beeps, ylod strikes again!!!!
Just took it back to repair shop and hit the roof!

Am really pi£&@d off now, can't believe it
 
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Its literally the worlds best kept secret that the fat PS3's are actually quite unreliable
They aren't really.

Its also been proven that keeping the PS3 horizontal is better for cooling then vertical so dont be fooled into thinking thats the better position.
No, this never actually has been proven.

What problems? I've been thinking about getting a cooling fan for a while now.. Can you explain why they are a bad idea?
Thanks,
Some of the crappier ones actually manage to keep hot air circulating inside the system rather than help draw hot air out.
 
How to avoid YLOD is to have good airflow around the console like so
878655145.JPG
 
I got me a CECHL03 model which is probably the last Fat model produced because mine arrived two days before they announced the Slim (annoyed face). It does get hot though and it does indeed worry me but then again I've never compared the heat while playing another game so who knows.

What'd you guys reckon?
 
The only test that was ever done was the thermal imaging test in around 2007. The test was clearly conducted by people who had absolutely no idea what they were talking about ("durp durp the PS3 is hotter by the top exhaust when sitting vertically so that means it runs hotter vertically durp durp"), and was hardly scientific in any case. And it honestly doesn't take much logical thought to realize either of these things.
 
ahhh I had YLOD 6 times with my previous 60GB PS3. I been fixing it, giving it new thermal compound and flux soldering, and it worked for some time, but then died again. I was WTH??? 6 times I had that issue and on 7th I just gave up and bought a 80GB PS3 with all the copabilities my 60GB had. One thing I realized/found out...

I learned my lesson and I realized that after fixing YLOD, DON't place your PS3 Vertically! Placing horizontally is the right way. When PS3 gets HOT or overheats the flux on the motherboard melts and tends to come/slide down when it's in Vertical position and your PS3 YLODs! By placing flat the flux gets hot but stays in the same place where it should and does not drip down, saving you PS3 from overheating or YLOD!!! Yes I know it does sound that by stading it up will let the heat escape little more easily but it does not help the soldering flux on the mother board stay where it should be when it overheats.

Mark my words guys, I had this issue 6 times before I realized and did some research online. The right position is flat/horizontal.
 
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The people who say that you should never turn off your PS3 may be right, but it depends on the climate of your city. If you're living in places where it's permanently below 20 degree C, I guess that's no big deal.

But for hotter areas, I can't think keeping the thing on is good. It'll just over heat. Besides, keeping it on and open is just asking for dust/dirt to collect on/in it.

I turn it off when I'm done, although I try and turn on the AC when I'm playing, but after letting it cool off I wrap it in the soft plastic it came.
 
How to avoid YLOD is to have good airflow around the console like so
878655145.JPG

while I agree that providing good airflow is important, when it comes to YLOD, I don't think it matters where/how you place the PS3.

mine was on a open stand(all 4 sides) with nothing around it.
my place was a bit chilly being winter and all too and still it YLOD.

I think it's just a matter of solder going bad from heating/cooling from repeated long use, no matter what.
cooling isn't efficient enough inside the unit for 90nm.

if you want to talk about preventive maintenance, I think people should replace the dried out thermo paste once a year.
it would be kind of a pain to tear your PS3 down every year but I really think this is the only way.

get all the trapped dust off inside too while at it.
 
Great read! I did enjoy the humor.

If you dont like to stand your ps3 up, try balancing its 4 corners on cards. This sounds stupid, but it allows the air to flow a LOT better. It works for me, and it doesn't have the heating issues it used to.
 
I know the girl in the picture, i mind personally, its a model friend of mine friend (model too)

On topic i got the 80gb fat and it still rocks, but im scared.

Lol your scared? I got the fat turd 40gb, I might upgrade to a slim 120gb, before my ps3 dies.
 
Did Sony tell you this?

Or, are you basing this on....your opinion.

No, it is normal human intelligence ;)

A console is not made for playing 10 hours successively, because its hardware and case does not compensate the produced heat and strain like a PC can...the case is too small for the mass of hardware in it.

Someone here mentioned a failure of hardware while the PS3 is cooling down too fast. And that is a problem of a too cold room climate.

Read the intstructions, make a break every three or four hours and keep your room clean...there is nothing more you can do......but curse Sony because of a production failure.
 
while I agree that providing good airflow is important, when it comes to YLOD, I don't think it matters where/how you place the PS3.

mine was on a open stand(all 4 sides) with nothing around it.
my place was a bit chilly being winter and all too and still it YLOD.

I think it's just a matter of solder going bad from heating/cooling from repeated long use, no matter what.
cooling isn't efficient enough inside the unit for 90nm.

if you want to talk about preventive maintenance, I think people should replace the dried out thermo paste once a year.
it would be kind of a pain to tear your PS3 down every year but I really think this is the only way.

get all the trapped dust off inside too while at it.

Yeah i agree, i cleaned out mine about 2 months back to get all of the dust out and i saw that the thermal paste would need replaced on the CPU/GPU soon.
 
Wow you really are a massive Playstation fanboy. The funny thing is, the Playstation's YLOD is just as common as the RROD and the YLOD kills your save data
So much false information my head hurts. Oddly, after fixing my YLOD I didn't lose any save data. Explain to me how it was killed, please.

Its literally the worlds best kept secret that the fat PS3's are actually quite unreliable (mostly overshadowed by the fact the fat 360's at the time were far worse).
I m having trouble finding any data to back this up. I am sure you wouldn't state this as a factual claim without some. Could I see it please?

All those initial reviews and tests that praised the PS3's reliability (by sticking it in freezers and saunas etc) were premature and gave no real indication of its ability to endure usage over a long period of time, in a nutshell they jumped to conclusions.
Or they were testing something different. They were stress tests, not long-term reliability tests. That is why they don't show long-term reliability results. Not showing what you want and jumping to false conclusions are two very different things.

You would think the massive cooling system would handle things but there are many design flaws including the poor fit of the heatsink on the chips (which can cause many of the YLOD's). Add to that the lead free solder, a hot PSU and the high nm very hot chips!
Hurm, sounds just like the 360's issues with a massive cooling system thrown in. Could that be why RRODs don't require extended use? And I bet some of those material choices were required by law, such as no lead in a toy (game consoles are regulated as toys in the US). And bad call by both manufacturers in using those high nm chips. We would have been much better off with old technology that would be extremely outdated by this point.

The best thing to do is prevent against it rather than try and fix it afterwards. All you have to do is change the thermal paste.
Heating and then cooling is the major problem in the solder connections. If you are going to have that problem on either system replacing the thermal paste will possibly delay things, even to beyond your use of the system, but it won't be a permanent fix.



Let's simplify it shall we: From what I learned doing research to fix my own YLOD; YLOD, when involving solder (a small percentage are just faulty power supplies), is due to sub-par quality solder and thermal pastes caused by legal regulations in confined systems with, at the time, advanced chipsets that ran hot. The PS3 had a better cooling system, which delays the issues much longer than in the 360, and possibly extends it beyond your usage of the system. You can delay the problem further by replacing the thermal paste, keeping the system clean, and being sure it has proper ventilation/air flow.

The fix, using a heat gun and replacing the thermal paste, is temporary. Be prepared to still need a new one eventually.
 
The fix, using a heat gun and replacing the thermal paste, is temporary. Be prepared to still need a new one eventually.

Regarding the heat gun fix has anyone else tried standing the MOBO in such away the weight of the board is supported by the chips themselves.? i.e. standing the mobo on sparkplug sockets that are placed on the chips.

By the looks of the ps3 chips compared to the 360 chips there is no silicone wedges that hold the chip in place like the 360.

I tried this with the thought that maybe the weight of the mobo will help to reset the connections with the solderballs. when its heated up.

When i put it back together i placed a small washer underneath both the metal pressure plates that secure the heatsink/fan.

My system has fun flawlessly or 5 months with some extended running time, I have all the faith in the world that it will fail again, but if i can extend the time in between failures that will do me.
 
My system has fun flawlessly or 5 months with some extended running time, I have all the faith in the world that it will fail again, but if i can extend the time in between failures that will do me.
My fix was completely with the intention that it gives me enough time to buy a new one and perform a data transfer.
 
+1 for YLOD. Very sorry to say this is my first post since joining well over a year ago :P

Console was kept in a server box which has cooling and dust filters, consistently kept below room temp - alas, it was no good.

I'm going to put this one down to a good long life, but such a shame as I just started my holidays :(
 
No, it is normal human intelligence ;)

A console is not made for playing 10 hours successively, because its hardware and case does not compensate the produced heat and strain like a PC can...the case is too small for the mass of hardware in it.

Someone here mentioned a failure of hardware while the PS3 is cooling down too fast. And that is a problem of a too cold room climate.

Read the intstructions, make a break every three or four hours and keep your room clean...there is nothing more you can do......but curse Sony because of a production failure.

Lol and a car is not meant to be driven for more than a few hours at a time...

Get real. The console should play 24/7 without issue or breakdown. I have a ITX form factor HTPC that has more hardware than a PS3 in it and its not too much bigger in size. Guess what? It never overheats no matter how long its on.
 
YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


reflowed my PS3 and it's back from the dead!

unit runs so much quieter now, I think even quieter then when it was new...
(due to use of higher quality thermo paste maybe? :confused:)

just tested with playing GT5 for about 3 hours straight and the fan didn't even kick it to 2nd gear.

freaking amazing!

clean inside and new thermo paste does wonders. 👍
 
YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


reflowed my PS3 and it's back from the dead!

unit runs so much quieter now, I think even quieter then when it was new...
(due to use of higher quality thermo paste maybe? :confused:)

just tested with playing GT5 for about 3 hours straight and the fan didn't even kick it to 2nd gear.

freaking amazing!

clean inside and new thermo paste does wonders. 👍

My PS3 has been on since last Friday and has not been off not yet. I've gone from B-Spec level 17-33 in 7 days.
 
yo guys i have been recentlly been researching this ylod problem. I know its somewhat of a common issue these days but is it that bad where its as bad as the rrod was? I have the 40 gb purchased i think april of 08 and like 5 months ago the blu ray drive went out got it replaced and is working really great now but anyways my 40 gb is the CCEHH model i do believe. Has anyone had a ylod or any problem on this model? im just curious. Any feedback would be great!!

thanks
 

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